Irene IV - World Adventure - 12:02.554N 061:45.518W Beach Clean Up Number One

12:02.554N 061:45.518W Beach Clean Up Number One

Irene IV - World Adventure

Louis Goor

Tue 25 Jan 2022 18:17

Beach Clean Up Number One

Monday, 24th January dawned with a little excitement aboard our Oyster 655. We feel so very lucky to be aboard such a fine vessel.

From the Oyster Yachts website:

"Oyster is a thoroughbred British, luxury sailing yachts builder. We have designed, built and supported the world’s finest liveaboard sailboats since 1973.

The DNA of our 50ft to 120ft ocean cruising yachts is rooted in over 20 million bluewater sailing miles and more than 90 sailing circumnavigations. We use this experience to refine our explorer sailing yachts so they are capable of taking you anywhere in the world in complete luxury, comfort and safety.

Our luxury sailboats are the ultimate hybrid adventure machines, offering owners life-enhancing experiences. Safe, well-provisioned and hand-crafted with exceptional materials, each Oyster liveaboard yacht for sale displays an unparalleled attention to detail and the outstanding skills of our British master craftsmen and women. We are committed to building something great that nurtures the passion of the Oyster family in ways that are always beyond expectation."

Although these words are riddled with superlatives, they are not an over statement. We are learning daily that the remarkable workmanship is truly remarkable. Irene IV was built in 2007. She is a seasoned sailor. She has circumnavigated the globe before with her previous owners. Stuart constantly reminds us that she has good bones. She will keep us safe and very comfortable.

On this particular morning we were excited for a couple of reasons, firstly because we had decided to do a beach clean up and secondly, we were hoping to set sail out to sea on our way to the San Blas Islands, Panama.

We all arose early, to leave on the tender at 6:30am, from Port Louis Marina around the point opposite Fort St.George to St. Martin’s Bay. We felt like we were in a James Bond movie, stealing ashore, under the radar, to complete a clandestine mission, for the betterment of the planet. The difficulty always in these operations is avoiding hurting local feelings or appearing superior to anyone. So, early morning, under the cloak of dawn seemed the right moment to proceed. Louis had noticed piles of plastic on the small beach in St. Martin’s Bay the previous day and had hatched the beach clean up plan. We have pledged Oceanic Society that we will clean at least one beach a month, so with the dictum, 'nothing like the present', the sortie was launched.

The day before, 23rd January, we said goodbye to Angus, as he boarded his flight back to JFK, New York. His blood pressure was in good shape and hopefully he can keep it there when he closes his eyes and returns in his imagination to the Caribbean, Irene IV style.

The same day we greeted our new crew. James Somerville, a long time family friend, and Kevin MacLean, an Hibernophile who comes from Los Angeles, California.

Louis, Sabine and crew number 2 participated in the beach clean up. We saw evidence that KFC, Coke and Heinz Tomato Ketchup are popular in this town! As there were already quite a few locals having an early morning swim, we did not dally, filled 3 rubbish bags to the brim, returned to the mother ship promptly with a strange mixture of feelings, glad to have cleaned a little, but also a touch of guilt at exposing an insult to the the beauty of this gorgeous place. Unlike, the generations of missionaries who have swarmed across the world converting local peoples and forcing them to relinquish their age old traditions and take on those of the so called, developed and civilized western world, we do not seek to offend or force anyone to do anything. We simply want to learn, share and grow along with the peoples of each place that we visit.